It's been said that children are gifts -- little bundles of joy. But, increasingly, those gifts are arriving in twos, threes, fours and more. Take twins: In 1980, the odds in the United States of having twins were 53-1. Three decades later the chances increased to 30-1. Fertility drugs and more pregnancies in older women are among the causes of the growth of deliveries in multiples [source: Borba]. Whatever the cause, the challenge to the parents is great.

Rest assured, however, that because of the increasing number of parents with multiples, there's a huge base of knowledge for you to draw from. You may feel isolated and overwhelmed, but you're no more alone than those tiny people who are now under your care. Thousands upon thousands of others have dealt with the same challenges and, collectively, have created strategies, approaches, tips and tricks that can be helpful to you and your little ones. Notice that we didn't just say "your little ones," but instead "you and your little ones."

One of the overriding issues with parents of multiples is that they focus every bit of their attention on the children -- often to the detriment of themselves and their partner. Taking good care of yourself and your spouse isn't selfish, it's essential to the health of all of you.

Speaking of the maintenance of good health, it's often the first -- and sometimes the biggest -- challenge with multiples. For that reason, it tops our list.